The article critiques the growing trend of museums mounting anniversary exhibitions to celebrate the birth or death of famous artists, using the centennial of Robert Rauschenberg as a prime example. Nearly 100 organizations worldwide are participating in Rauschenberg-related shows, from the Menil Collection in Houston to the Grey Art Museum in New York. The author notes similar patterns in 2024 for James Ensor and in 2023 for Ellsworth Kelly and Pablo Picasso, with museums often resorting to highly specific or gimmicky themes to differentiate their offerings.
This matters because the author argues that anniversary exhibitions reinforce the status quo by celebrating already canonized, mostly white male artists, rather than serving the public in more meaningful ways. The trend is compared to legacy admissions in universities, perpetuating existing hierarchies. While the author acknowledges practical reasons for these shows—such as board member support, tight budgets, and foundation funding—they question whether this is the best use of museum resources and suggest it limits opportunities for more diverse or innovative programming.